If you’ve been waiting for cooler weather to
finish your garden-chore to-do list, now is the time to get going.
September gives gardeners a second chance to get around to unfinished
garden tasks. Here’s a checklist to get you started:
Trees and shrubs
• Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs.
Be sure to plant trees properly by making sure that the trunk flare is
above the soil level. For planting directions, consult the International
Society of Arboriculture Web site,
www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_planting.asp.
• Prune broken and dead branches. Avoid severe
pruning now; wait till February or March for most trees and shrubs.
• Handpick bagworms from evergreens. Make a game
of it — offer your children or grandchildren 5 cents a piece for each
bagworm.
Flowers
• Plant frost-tolerant flowers such as pansies,
flowering kale, chrysanthemums, and asters.
• Purchase spring-flowering bulbs such as
daffodils and tulips for planting in early October.
• Cut flowers for drying. Strawflowers, celosia,
globe amaranth, and baby’s breath dry nicely. Hang flowers upside
down in a warm, dry location.
• Dig gladiolas and dahlias as the foliage
yellows.
• September is a good time to divide most
perennials, and it’s the best time to divide peonies. Be sure to have
three to five eyes per peony division. Replant so that the eyes are no more
than 2 inches deep.
• Stop fertilizing roses.
Lawns
• Reseed bare spots. Select good-quality turf
mixes or blends appropriate to the site. In central Illinois, seed before
Sept. 15.
• Around Labor Day, apply nitrogen at a ratio of
1 pound actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
• Continue mowing; mow to maintain a height of 2
to 2 1/2 inches.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn, where they
will decompose.
Vegetables and fruits
• Continue harvesting vegetables.
• Pick apples when the flavor is sweet but before
the fruit softens. Store in a cool place.
• If you have not already done so, dig potatoes
with a fork or shovel and allow them to air-dry for a week. Store potatoes
in a cool, dark location.
• Plant radish, lettuce, and spinach for fall
harvest.
• Harvest winter squash when the rind is hard but
before the first hard frost.
• Harvest grapes and everbearing strawberries.
• Remove weeds from garden plantings to keep them
from going to seed.
Herbs
• Harvest herbs. Rinse with water, air-dry, and
hang clean stems upside down in a dark location. Allow to completely
air-dry before storing in airtight containers.
• In late September, dig and repot herbs such as
rosemary and lavender for use indoors.
Houseplants
•
Before night temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, bring
houseplants indoors. Rinse the leaves with water or wipe them with a damp
cloth, and wash the outside of each container. Carefully inspect plants for
insects and diseases. Acclimate plants by gradually decreasing the amount
of light the plant receives.
Indoor activities
• Store unused garden seed in
a cool, dry place.
Alien invaders
The first of the University of Illinois
Extension’s fall gardening series looks at exotic invasive plants and
the impact of these plants on the state’s natural resources.
Horticulture educator Chris Hilgert discusses 11 exotic invaders, as well
as provisions of two state laws that regulate the importation and
cultivation of certain weeds and invasive plants.
The seminar, which will be held at the U of I
Extension building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, is offered at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 6, and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. There is a $2 charge. For
more information and to reserve a seat, call 217-782-4617.
This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2005.
